A new project has launched in Uzbekistan aimed at detecting and eliminating gas leaks, reducing methane emissions, and reallocating saved funds to the development of gas infrastructure. The World Bank provided a grant of $10.6 million for the implementation of this project.
Measures for implementing the project were officially approved by the Cabinet of Ministers Decree No. 444 dated August 18, 2026. The grant agreement was signed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the World Bank. The project is planned to be implemented from 2026 to 2028.
Previously, research conducted with the support of the World Bank at Uztransgaz facilities discovered over a thousand gas leak sites, with a total volume estimated up to 35 million cubic meters.
The majority of the allocated grant, amounting to $9.6 million, will be used for activities related to reducing gas losses in the existing infrastructure. An additional $500,000 is designated to strengthen institutional capacity in monitoring and reporting, while the remaining $500,000 will cover the costs of the project implementation group, attracting international specialists, and general initiative support.
The volumes of saved methane will undergo independent verification, and the funds resulting from savings will be accumulated in a special escrow account to finance the maintenance and modernization of the gas system. Furthermore, the saved natural gas will be directed to the domestic market for at least two years.
An interdepartmental working group is being established to ensure the smooth operation of the project, bringing together representatives from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Energy, and Uztransgaz.